Cavs Reportedly Discussed Possible Russell Westbrook Trade with Houston
The Houston Rockets spoke to the Cleveland Cavaliers during NBA draft week about a deal that would send Westbrook to The Land. There have been rumors swirling that Westbrook wants to leave Houston after just one season. The Cavs showed interest in what could’ve been a blockbuster trade.
Shams Charania of The Athletic broke the news of the Westbrook trade talks:
“They talked to Washington about John Wall, which I reported,” Charania said on the Complex Load Management podcast “They talked to Cleveland; I’m told.”
The details of who the Rockets wanted in return for Westbrook is unclear, however, it is clear that Cleveland has been attempting to trade PF Kevin Love for some time. Power forward Love and Westbrook were roommates during their college days at UCLA. If these two donned the wine and gold it could make for an interesting roster but given Westbrook’s salary, it doesn’t seem likely Love would’ve remained in Cleveland.
The Cavs are in rebuilding mode and have several up and coming young players in PG Collin Sexton, SG Darius Garland and SF Kevin Porter Jr. While Westbrook is 32 years old, he still can hoop by averaging 17.9 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists in eight games of the 2020 playoffs.
Yes, it’s the trade that didn’t happen, but the Rockets are still looking to move Westbrook. The season is set to start December 22, 2020, and it’s possible Houston will talk to the Cavs again. Could Westbrook bring power to the struggling Cavs squad? Of course, he would but at what price would the trade make sense? The young guards Cleveland has are the future, but a veteran with the status of Westbrook is certainly compelling. Westbrook didn’t find his way to Northeast Ohio during trade week, but sports is an odd industry and one can’t rule out that there’s something to the talks. If anything, it’s an interesting topic to discuss while Cavs fans await the first tip-off of the season.
